


Sex among the Spellcasters

by allmilhouse



Category: Bell Book and Candle (1958)
Genre: M/M, Magic, Making Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-30 07:40:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15092207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allmilhouse/pseuds/allmilhouse
Summary: Broke warlock Nicky Holroyd senses an opportunity- convince author Sidney Retlitch to split the advance on his next book in exchange for inside information on the magical community in New York. What Nicky didn't bank on was Sidney being more enticing than a promising paycheck





	Sex among the Spellcasters

For most of his life, Nicky Holroyd had found witchcraft annoyingly unrewarding. Sure, being able to open doors or turn out streetlights were fun and all, but sometimes an adult needs more practical things. Like money. And only being able to find work in likeminded establishments didn't always pay the bills- when your only customers are witches, and most witches are broke, you're never exactly raking in the dough. 

But tonight, working in The Zodiac was starting to pay off. Nicky had rushed Sidney Redlitch there after their conversation on the street, determined to make good on his promise to show Sidney how witches really lived. And Sidney was digging it. Seeing the joint through new eyes, Nicky was starting to appreciate the old place. The writer's eyes, wide as saucers, never stopped roving the walls, taking in every sight, no matter how odd or unconventional. It was a little past 4am and the place was winding down, but that only made the odder characters stick out like a sore thumb. And at The Zodiac, when it came to odd characters, the more the merrier. 

Nicky nodded at the band playing on the stage as he took Sidney by the arm and led him towards one of the dressing rooms at the back, by way of the bar. Glass of bourbon secured, Sidney settled down a little and seemed eager to get to work. Ah, work, bane of Nicky's life. He sat down stiffly at the desk, in front of the typewriter, as Sidney plopped heavily onto the sofa. Aside from that furniture and a small wardrobe, the room was bare, and with bland fluorescent office lighting above, it seemed positively normal compared to the sights and sounds in the main lounge. 

Sidney lit a cigarette and absentmindedly ruffled his hair, before turning to Nicky, suddenly full of professionalism. "How long have you been practicing? Any other witches in your family? When did you first learn you were a warlock? What sort of spells do you specialize in? How many other people have you told? Has anyone ever guessed?" 

He stopped to take a drink, and Nicky nervously loosened his bowtie. He had initially thought he'd always have the upper hand here, but Sidney had caught him off-guard. The writer had seemed dopey all evening, but now Nicky thought about it, he had shown a little spark back at Gil's apartment. The man knew what he was talking about, and Nicky was impressed. He smiled at the waiting man.

"I've known since I was a kid, but no one else does, not even my family," he lied. "I didn't start doing any magic 'til I was an adult though- I got a job at an herb store, and they taught me all about it. I can take you there in the morning," he added. He would probably have to take Sidney to all the usual haunts, to keep things authentic and ensure his half of the book's advance, but honestly he kind of wanted to. Eccentric Sidney would probably fit very well in the witch community, and for some reason Nicky found himself wanting to show the man off. 

Sidney nodded, approving Nicky's answers. "That sounds pretty typical of American witches, from what I've heard. You don't have the sense of community they have down in Mexico." He took another sip and bit down on the glass to keep it steady, as he shrugged out of his coat, leaving Nicky to stare at his comically patterned button-down t-shirt. The man looked ridiculous, yet Nicky found he couldn't look away. 

"What about the spells though?" Sidney pressed on.

Nicky frowned. "Honestly, I can't do much. Just messing around with lights and doorknobs, some small electronics. Anything that can be written off as faulty wiring." He felt a stab of shame, like suddenly it was the worst thing in the world not to be able to impress Sidney. "I know lots of talented witches though, like Bianca de Passe. She's the biggest name in magic around here. She drops by The Zodiac quite often too. I have a set here tonight, maybe you can catch it and I can let you know if she's in the audience?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. I wouldn't mind catching a few of your shows here, honestly. This place seems, well," he shrugged again, trailing off. "Tell me about the lights though. I want to see you in action."

Nicky's heart soared. "Of course. Here, take a look." He shook his hands free, loosening his sleeves a little. He focussed on the light fixture on the ceiling, and furrowed his brow a little. He waved his hands slightly, and after a flash of blue light, the room plunged into darkness. Aside from a crack of light under the door, and the burning stub of Sidney's finished cigarette in the ashtray on the corner of the desk, it was pitch black.

Sidney clapped. "That's wild stuff," he cheered. "You've got some real tricks here, boy!"

"I've got more tricks in the dark." It slipped out before Nicky knew what he was saying, and he could sense Sidney tense up across the small room. He regretted it the second he said it, afraid that it would push Sidney away. He had only just found the man, and he desperately wanted to spend more time with him. And get the book money, some distant part of his brain thought. He was surprised at how his priorities had shifted in the last half an hour. 

But not as surprised as he was about what happened next. Sidney cleared his throat and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "well, go on". The seconds ticked away but Nicky was stunned, unsure of his next move. Maybe Sidney just wanted to see more magic, and didn’t recognize the double entendre. 

“Nah, it’s fine,” Sidney piped up after a minute. “It’s late, we’re both tired, you probably didn’t mean to say that-“ Sidney kept muttering something, but all Nicky could hear was the sadness in his deep voice, and resolved to do something about it. His heart was beating so loud he couldn't hear the faint playing of the band out in the main lounge anymore, but he got the courage to stand up and creep over to the couch, uncertainty growing with every step.

Nicky sat down on the edge of the couch, and he heard Sidney let out a small breath, clearly acknowledging him. How he wished he could see Sidney right now, but he had boasted about his abilities in the dark, right? He could see the faint outline of Sidney next to him, clearly waiting on Nicky to make the first move.

Reaching out, he threaded a hand in Sidney's unruly hair, and used it to balance himself as he leaned in closer. Sidney gasped again, so his mouth was open when Nicky finally found it. Sidney tasted of bourbon, and cigarettes, and something vaguely familiar Nicky couldn't quite place. He was also delightfully responsive, leaning into every touch, and making encouraging little moans at every trick Nicky tried. It was far from the oddest encounter Nicky had in a back room at The Zodiac, but it was easily the most enthralling. He and Sidney just seemed to fit together perfectly, even on a dingy old couch, and maybe it was the absurdity of the situation that added to their enjoyment.

They pulled apart after a few minutes, gasping for air. Nicky was completely on top of Sidney now, with Sidney hanging onto Nicky for dear life. Their noses bumped in the darkness, and Sidney chuckled.

"Don't every say you can't do much again," he said seriously, still out of breath. "Eight years researching witches in the wild, and no one's ever tried something like that. Can you all do that thing with your tongue? Wait, don't tell me. I'm better off not knowing."

Nicky smiled. "You know, my place isn't too far from here. We could be there in less than ten minutes if I turned all the traffic lights on 57th green."

"Now this I gotta see," Sidney said, regretfully letting go of Nicky so they could get up. They gathered their coats and hats, and slipped unnoticed through the mostly empty club onto the bitterly cold street. Nicky walked to the curb to hail a cab, and looked back at Sidney, who was trying to read the hours posted in the window of a barber shop further down the street. Nicky fondly shook his head as the car rolled up to the curb, and wondered he didn't mess around with mortals more often.

**Author's Note:**

> boy oh boy, this is one of the very niche pairs I initially signed up for ao3 to write for. Because it's canon that Nicky uses his powers for his lovelife, as Gillian tells Shep, but we only see him do stuff in front of his family and Sidney, sooooo
> 
> Yeah, that's a flimsy excuse to write more bad fic but still


End file.
